America Makes has issued a project call to develop 3D printing technology for the US Air Force.
The Additive for eXtreme Improvement in Optical Mounts (AXIOM) project call will focus on improving the optical components used in sensors, space systems, and other applications by developing designs enabled by additive manufacturing (AM).
Currently, optical components require a combination of weight, stiffness, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), thermal management, and dimensional tolerances, and to meet these requirements, designs often include geometric features, manufacturing methods, and materials that can increase cost and lead time and create supply chain vulnerabilities due to the limited set of approved material sources, America Makes says. The project call aims to use M in conjunction with new designs or materials to make the components more reliable.
America Makes plans to make available around US$560K to fund one award with at least US$280K in matching cost-share funds from the awarded project team for total funding worth US$840K.
For more information on the AXIOM project call go here.
This story uses material from America Makes, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
